Where are forests in Europe’s Sustainable Development Goals plans?

“In September 2015, after the largest consultation in the history of the United Nations, more than 150 world leaders agreed on a new agenda to “free the human race from the tyranny of poverty”.

The Sustainable Developments Goals (SDGs) lay out 17 universal goals, targets and indicators to frame the agendas and policies of UN member states for the next 15 years.

There is no doubt that forests should occupy a paramount role if the SDGs are to be achieved. Protecting forests means mitigating climate change. It means preserving vital biodiversity and terrestrial ecosystems. And it means improving the lives of the 1.6 billion people dependent on forests.

Until now, the EU has been a great defender of forests, particularly through its innovative Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) programme, and a major contributor to their destruction, largely through its consumption of agricultural products.”